


Lover / Hunter

by kyanitedragon



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:34:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28393185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyanitedragon/pseuds/kyanitedragon
Summary: Kaneki Ken is a natural born ghoul, and a human guy who he wants nothing to do with has an interest in him.
Relationships: Kaneki Ken | Sasaki Haise/Nagachika Hideyoshi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 84





	Lover / Hunter

**Author's Note:**

> This is a separate universe from my other fullghoul!Kaneki fics. I thought it'd be interesting to write a darker take

Anteiku’s bell rang, signaling a customer entering.

“Welcome to Anteiku!” Kaneki called out, only for a chill to run up his spine when he saw who it was.

“Hey, Kaneki!” The blond nodded in greeting, taking a seat at the bar.

He was Hideyoshi Nagachika, an Anteiku regular. He was human, and although he wasn’t a Dove, he was known by all the ghouls here to be dangerous. 

How? He was simply bad luck. Any ghouls that ever tried to hunt him, never came back alive. Soon enough this human had a record amongst the Anteiku ghoul regulars. Everyone feared him, and yet Kaneki had to serve him with a smile on his face.

\---

One night, a group of ghouls asked Yoshimura if they could have a meeting at Anteiku. He agreed. 

All the workers of Anteiku were required to come and oversee it, so that’s where Kanki was now. Nearly all of Anteiku’s regular ghoul customers showed up to the meeting, as well as a few friends of those regulars. 

Kaneki sat beside Touka behind the counter, only half-listening to the discussion. If asked by Yoshimura, he would help his fellow ghouls, but he didn’t ever take the initiative himself unless the ghoul was someone he cared about. He wasn’t like Yoshimura and Touka. He couldn’t afford to be nice to everyone and do favors for ghouls. He’d get himself killed that way.

It had been a while, so Kaneki zoned back into the discussion. 

“Someone’s gotta take that blondie out!”

“Yeah! It’s only a matter of time before he finds out about Anteiku!”

“But who’s gonna do it?”

“Not me! If Kobayashi failed, then there’s no way I could do it!”

“But any of us stalking him would be too obvious.”

“Wait. Then...” Their leader glanced at Touka and Kaneki. “What about you two?”

“Hah?!” Touka exclaimed.

“Us?!” Kaneki cried.

“Why do you think they would have such better luck?” Kaya asked.

“Because the human’s a college kid! We need someone around his age to take him out! He’d never suspect anything!”

Touka and Kaneki exchanged a look.

“Just... consider it, okay?”

\---

For the next few days, Kaneki did consider it. He would admit he had always been freaked out by the human guy. He just didn’t understand how some average college student could be so hard to kill. He was freaked out, but also intrigued. And it was true that Kaneki and Touka had advantages that the other Anteiku ghouls didn’t have. Hide had a clear crush on Touka, and he seemed to take an interest in Kaneki as well. Kaneki was also in a class with him. They both could get close to the human without him suspecting anything.

Kaneki wanted to hunt him. He had faith he could pull it off. He knew he could trick Hide. He wanted the challenge. And he’d be much better food than Kaneki usually allowed himself to hunt.

\---

“Bye, Touka-chan~!” Hide flirted as he left Anteiku.

“Ugh!” Touka cried once the door shut. “I swear, if he flirts with me one more time, I’m gonna kill him!”

“A-actually...” Kaneki began awkwardly. “I was considering going after him?”

Touka shrugged. “Fine by me. He’s not my type anyway.”

\---

And so, by the end of the week, Kaneki officially began his hunt. In their Asian History class, they had group projects. Kaneki took the chance to ask Hide to be his partner, and Hide happily accepted.

_This is going to be so easy._

For weeks, they hung out together. They worked on their project and got to know each other as friends.

Kaneki was biding his time, waiting for the right moment to kill him. He’d need to do it carefully, and not make it obvious. As his group project partner, he’d probably be asked about Hide’s death. He would need an excuse.

On the other side, Hide had much nicer plans in mind. He genuinely wanted to get to know Kaneki and be friends with him. And so, he eagerly shared a lot about himself, even if Kaneki didn’t share much in return. Hide didn’t seem to mind it. Ever since the beginning, Hide had always accepted that Kaneki was introverted and closed-off.

But the more Kaneki hung out with Hide, the more Kaneki realized just how important it was to kill him. Every day, there were so many red flags, proving all those ghouls right about wanting to take Hide out.

Hide was interested in ghouls, and did his own research. He followed Dr. Ogura, and even had theories about the ghoul cases on the news. And the scariest part? He guessed them all right.

Kaneki never felt guilty about his intentions to kill Hide. Hide was a risk — to every ghoul in the 20th Ward.

But Kaneki’s human side... started to really like Hide. Hide was nice. He was sensitive and caring and sweet and gentle. He was a really good friend. Kaneki could even feel himself starting to fall in love.

Despite that, Kaneki knew that Hide would betray him if he knew he was a ghoul. He would turn him in and get him killed. Or, knowing Hide’s interest in ghouls, have him dissected and studied.

Kaneki shivered and shook his head to clear his thoughts of those unpleasantries.

_No, we can’t be friends, and we especially can’t be boyfriends. I have to kill him._

\---

“Hey, Kaneki? I know we haven’t really known each other for that long yet, but... I was wondering... Would you like to go out with me?”

Kaneki smiled. “Sure.”

 _It’s just an act. It’s just to blend in._ Kaneki told himself, even as he genuinely enjoyed all of their dates.

\---

One night, they were doing homework together, and they were cuddled together on Hide’s bed. Kaneki wasn’t even sure when they had started cuddling. It just seemed to happen slowly and naturally in their relationship.

“Hey, Kaneki...?” Hide asked.

Kaneki glanced up at him. “Yeah?”

Hide didn’t say anything. He just stared, his expression soft and full of want.

 _I love him,_ Kaneki thought. _I really, really love him._

Hide opened his mouth slightly, and leaned in. Kaneki couldn’t help it. He leaned in too, closing the distance between them.

_But... I need to kill him._

Their lips mashed together awkwardly at first, but soon they adjusted and figured it out and their lips slotted together.

Kissing Hide felt good, and Hide tasted good too, so Kaneki kept kissing him, a bit more passionately. He leaned in even further, knocking Hide over. Kaneki pulled back to apologize, but before he could get a word out, Hide wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him closer, kissing him again. Kaneki moaned, deepening the kiss. He scooted closer, straddling Hide and resting his hands against his chest.

Hide pulled away to breathe, and instead of pulling back, Kaneki started kissing his chin, and then his jaw, and slowly made his way to the side of his neck. He was alternating between kisses and love bites, and Hide was moaning in pleasure with each one.

 _He’s made this so easy,_ Kaneki thought as he scraped his teeth along Hide’s skin and then planted another kiss. 

Kaneki could trail over and bite his jugular, and Hide would never see it coming or have any time to react.

But the question was — did Kaneki really want to do it?

He loved Hide. He really, truly did. And — obviously — Hide loved him in return. 

But their relationship would never work out. There was no way Hide would accept a ghoul. And, considering what Kaneki had intended to do to him from the beginning, Kaneki couldn’t blame him.

 _He’s dangerous,_ Kaneki reminded himself as he planted another kiss. _He needs to go. He needs to be killed, before he kills you or anyone you care about._

_But... does Hide really deserve that?_

Kaneki gently bit Hide again, and then nuzzled his face against Hide’s neck.

_Choose. Choose. Choose!_

Hide was lying there comfortably under Kaneki, his arms wrapped around him. Quietly, he whispered, “Are you going to kill me?”

Kaneki went tense. His lips were still against Hide’s flesh. Where he currently was, it might not be a fatal hit, but it would still do a lot of damage.

“So?” Hide continued, reaching a hand up to run his fingers through Kaneki’s hair. “Are you?”

Kaneki pulled his mouth off Hide’s skin, and instead buried his head into the crook of his shoulder.

“You knew...?” Kaneki whispered.

Hide chuckled, a gentle vibration shaking both of their bodies. “I knew from the very beginning.”

“What? How?” Kaneki’s head was spinning. “Why did you trust me?”

“I don’t care about who’s a ghoul and who’s a human, Kaneki. I care about who the person is.” 

Kaneki felt Hide’s hand snake between their bodies and press against his chest, right over his heart. 

Hide continued, “And I like you. I think you’re a good person, Kaneki.”

Kaneki squeezed his eyes shut. 

_I’m not. I’m really not._

Hide slowly pulled his hand back. Then, gentle hands touched either side of Kaneki’s face, and guided his head up. Kaneki knew he and Hide’s faces would be mere inches apart now.

“Kaneki...” Hide whispered. “Look at me.”

“Mm-mm.” Kaneki whined and shook his head like a stubborn child. His kakugan had been activated ever since he started giving Hide love bites, and with the taste of Hide’s skin still on his lips, he knew he wouldn’t be able to deactivate them.

_I’m a monster. You don’t deserve to see that, Hide._

“Open your eyes...” Hide whispered, even softer.

Kaneki was about to shake his head again, when soft lips pecked gently against Kaneki’s.

_What the—?!_

In shock, Kaneki snapped his eyes open. 

Hide’s eyes widened and a small gasp escaped his mouth, and then he smiled softly.

Tears welled up in Kaneki’s eyes.

“Why...?”

“Why what?” Hide whispered, pulling Kaneki against his chest to hold him.

“Why do you love me? Why do you care? Why do you trust me? Why aren’t you scared of me? You knew all along...!” Kaneki muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. “You kissed me! _You_ kissed _me!”_

“I mean,” Hide shrugged, “you were the one to kiss me first. But I guess I did initiate it.”

Kaneki pulled out of Hide’s hold in favor of sitting a distance across from him. He rubbed his temples. “Okay, yeah, but... You _kissed_ me. You _wanted_ to kiss me; that’s the point I’m trying to get across. Me, a ghoul. My lips on yours — on you!”

Hide chuckled. “Yeah... That was a bit more than I thought would happen, but I’m not complaining. It was really nice.”

Kaneki sighed heavily. Flatly, he said, “I don’t think you’re understanding.”

“I understand.” Hide said, sitting up and taking Kaneki’s hands in his. “You think I’m crazy and stupid for willingly kissing a ghoul. For letting you put your mouth on me when you could have easily killed and eaten me.”

Kaneki swallowed. “Y-yeah.”

Hide grinned at him. “But I knew you weren’t going to!”

Kaneki looked away. “That’s the thing...”

“Hm?”

“I...” Kaneki licked his lips. “I _was_ going to.”

Hide blinked.

“I was going to kill you.” 

“O-oh...”

Kaneki jumped to his feet. “I get it! No need to say anything! We’re broken up, I’ll leave. Date other people — other humans — and please, consider maybe not turning me in? Anyway, I’ll just be going—”

“Kaneki!” Hide grabbed his arm. Kaneki froze. “Why... _Why_ were you going to kill me?”

Kaneki glanced back at him. Hide’s brows were furrowed and he was frowning. He looked so sad and so hurt.

“W-why?” Kaneki repeated dumbly.

Hide nodded. “I want to know. Did... Did I do something wrong?”

“No.” Kaneki whispered as he sat back down. “Not... knowingly, at least.”

“I know that I spend a lot of my free time researching ghouls, and I’m sorry if that freaked you out. But it _really is_ just a hobby — I’ve never turned in a ghoul and I’m never going to.”

“That’s a lie...” Kaneki whispered.

“What?”

“That’s a lie!” Kaneki spat, angry at how innocent Hide was acting. “You’ve killed ghouls! And they, they fear you now! I was the only one with a chance of succeeding!”

“The only one...?” Hide narrowed his eyes. “You mean... You were going to kill me from the very beginning...?”

Kaneki stood up again, regret on his face. “I should go—”

“No!” Hide yelled out, grabbing Kaneki’s arm and yanking him back down to sit. “Explain!”

Kaneki blinked at this stubborn human that was angrily pouting at him. He could easily break Hide’s arm and make his get-away, but he found himself somehow frozen in place where he was.

“It doesn’t make sense.” Hide whispered. “This doesn’t make sense. Why would you want to kill me and then— Those dates and that kiss... That wasn’t fake, Kaneki!”

“It doesn’t matter, does it?” Kaneki asked, his voice raising in agitation. “I asked you out with the intention to kill you, and I was going to do it a few minutes ago!”

“Were you?” Hide pressed.

“I...” Kaneki struggled to answer.

“Were you really going to kill me during that kiss?”

Kaneki groaned. He pulled his knees up and dropped his head, tugging at his hair. “I don’t know!”

“Why don’t you know?”

“Shut up!” Kaneki screamed, shooting his head up to glare at Hide. His kakugan was still activated, but it was blazing now.

Hide flinched and swallowed nervously, frozen in place like a deer in headlights.

“This isn’t fair!” Kaneki continued, his voice starting to crack and eyes beginning to water again. “You’re just a human, and I’m a ghoul! So why am I—? Why are you—?” He whined in agony and then started sniffling. He covered his face, turning away shamefully.

Hide sighed, and slowly reached out to squeeze Kaneki’s shoulder. 

“Kaneki, listen...” Hide whispered. “I just want to know the truth. I want to know how you feel about me. Because this isn’t adding up. I believe that you’re good, I really do. But I need to hear you say it yourself.”

“I’m not.” Kaneki sniffed. “I’m not good.”

“I don’t think a bad person would be crying right now.” Hide said gently. He gestured to his arm resting on Kaneki’s shoulder. “And I think a bad person would have torn my arm off. Or ran away. Or both.”

When Kaneki didn’t say anything, Hide scooted closer to sit directly beside him. He gently pulled Kaneki’s hand away from covering his face, and then dried Kaneki’s eyes with his shirt. His kakugan were still activated, but they were hardly as intimidating when they were full of tears. 

“I didn’t kill any ghouls, Kaneki...” Hide whispered.

“Yes, you did...” Kaneki whispered. “Well, okay, maybe _you_ didn’t kill them. But they went after you and they died. Many of them. That’s... That’s unheard of, Hide. They were so afraid of you...”

“Were you?”

Kaneki flinched.

“Were you afraid of me too?” Hide repeated.

“Yes...” Kaneki admitted.

“I wouldn’t have hurt you, Kaneki.” Hide rubbed his arm soothingly. “I know what you’re talking about now. Those ghouls targeted me and went after me. I ran, and I headed toward where I knew investigators were. It was self-defense. I didn’t want to kill them, but, well, they didn’t really give me a choice.”

Kaneki took a breath. “I’m not mad about that. I’m not mad at you at all. I’m just... conflicted and confused and...” He hesitated, “...and scared.”

“So that’s why those ghouls want me dead?” Hide asked. “Because I’m the root cause of a bunch of ghoul deaths?”

Kaneki nodded slowly. “And you keep coming back to our safe haven. It’s like... you were taunting us.”

“Safe haven?” Hide asked. “Anteiku?”

_Shit shit shit._

“I just like their coffee is all.” Hide shrugged. “I knew that a lot of ghouls probably frequented there, and I had a hunch that the workers were ghouls too, but I never thought that it would be a safe space for you guys. Yeesh. Sorry.”

Kaneki sighed and shook his head. He couldn’t believe the kinds of misunderstanding all this turned out to be.

“Back to you, though.” Hide said, voice back to a soothing whisper. “You say you went out with me to kill me. Did you change your mind?”

“I don’t know...” Kaneki muttered. “I did, and I want to... But... But...”

“But what?”

“You’re dangerous. You know too much, especially now...”

Kaneki glanced at him, and Hide shuddered at having Kaneki’s kakugan looking in his direction like that.

“I’m not going to kill you, Kaneki. Or turn you in. Or turn anyone else in. But...” Hide sighed. “If you really want to, then okay. Kill me.”

Kaneki’s eyes widened. “What?”

“You heard.” Hide nodded. “If you really don’t trust me, and if you feel it’ll keep you safe, then do it.”

_It’s gotta be a trap._

Kaneki stood up silently, letting himself seem as intimidating as possible. And then he leaned down, pressing against Hide’s chest and pushing him backwards. Hide tensed but didn’t fight back. He let himself be pushed back into the bed. Kaneki could hear his heart pounding under his fingers.

“It’ll hurt...” Kaneki muttered darkly.

_What is he doing...?_

Hide still cooperated, his expression unreadable. Kaneki didn’t understand, and it was starting to anger him.

Kaneki lunged, straddling Hide once again, and using all of his weight and strength to hold Hide down. Hide reflexively flinched but then forced himself to relax. He was breathing erratically, breathing through his nose.

“If you’re really going to do it...” Hide whispered, “Just please make it quick?”

Kaneki didn’t answer him. He leaned in even closer, toward Hide’s jugular but listened out for anything unusual. 

_It’s gotta be a trap. The CCG has to be here ready to kill me._

He had to find out. Kaneki opened his mouth, resting his lips against Hide’s skin once again. He still tasted good, and Kaneki couldn’t help but lick him to get an even better taste.

Hide shivered, but didn’t scream, didn’t yell, and no help bursted through the door either.

Kaneki slowly bit down, letting his teeth sink into Hide’s flesh. Not enough to draw blood, but enough to hurt.

Hide gasped and let out a light hiss of pain, but still didn’t scream for help. 

Kaneki quickly pulled back. “You’re insane.”

“You decided?” Hide asked.

Kaneki nodded. “I’m not going to kill you.”

“Oh, thank goodness!” Hide cried out, slapping a hand to rest over his heart. He started panting, and tried to calm himself down. “I actually thought you were going to do it!”

Kaneki looked away. He rubbed at his eyes and blinked rapidly, but his kakugan just wouldn’t go away. Two of the triggers were food and stress, and Kaneki was very stressed out and he could still taste Hide’s skin on his lips and teeth, so they likely wouldn’t go away for a long time.

“Kaneki.”

Kaneki looked at him.

“So... you do like me, right? We’re still together, aren’t we?”

“You still want me?”

“If you’ll have me.” Hide smiled. He pushed himself up, and kissed Kaneki.

Tears ran down Kaneki’s face.

\---

Kaneki really thought he made a stupid, deadly mistake in letting Hide live. He had revealed himself as a ghoul, and even mentioned Anteiku!

But for some reason, he didn’t have any anxiety. He was completely at ease, and he really didn’t understand why.

It had been a week since then. Kaneki hadn’t told anyone that he called off hunting Hide. He wasn’t sure how to. And, honestly, it wasn’t any of their business what his relationship with Hide was.

On Friday, at the end of his shift at Anteiku, a familiar face showed up.

Immediately, ghoul customers gasped and some choked on their drinks.

“Hey, Kaneki!” Hide grinned.

Before Kaneki could say anything, someone grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him into the backroom of Anteiku.

They kept dragging him, and then tossed him into the seat.

“Explain, now!”

Kaneki looked up to see Touka glaring at him, her kakugan activated.

“Explain what?”

“I thought he was dead!”

“You did?”

“Human regular that my friend is hunting doesn’t show up for a whole week. What did you _think_ we all thought?!”

Kaneki grimaced. He felt dumb. He should have known dating Hide wouldn’t have been this easy.

“Do you want me to kill him?” Touka offered.

“No!” Kaneki cried. “Touka-chan, I... I love him.”

“...You what?”

“Please. He’s really sweet and nice and he knows and he accepts it.”

“Accepts what?”

“Accepts me.”

Touka’s eyes widened and her kakugan faded away.

“Please don’t hurt him.”

“Alright.” Touka sighed. “But I can’t say other ghouls will do the same.”

“I know.” Kaneki nodded. “I would just hate it if you were out to kill him. I care about you both a lot.”

Touka started to walk away. “Kaneki?”

“Yeah?”

“...I’m happy for you.”


End file.
